The Doctor's Selfless Act
by ZiggyChaos
Summary: The TARDIS lands in Indy's living room, only the Doctor isn't aboard. What's going on and how will Indy save his friend?


**The Doctor's Selfless Act**

Ziggy

Author's Note: An AU Doctor Who/Indiana Jones crossover. My friend Crystal has written a whole series of stories starring Ten and Indy, with Indy as Ten's occasional traveling companion (he still teaches college and does the archaeology thing); however, her Indy Jones is from our present time, not the 1930s or 1950s as in the movies, so modern-day conveniences, such as computers, are a part of his every day life. In their travels together, the Doctor acquired a miniature dragon, whom heh named Splash. The beastie also makes an appearance here. The Doctor and Indy have known each other for a couple of years by the time this story takes place. Enjoy!

Dr. Indiana Jones, prominent archaeologist and expert on the occult, parked his car in front of his house. He gathered up his briefcase, got out, then headed for his small abode. As he approached the front door, he got a sudden, strange feeling that something was wrong. He quickly scanned the area, checking for anything that seemed out of place. Seeing nothing that should have alerted his senses, he gave his front door a quick once-over. Again, he found nothing to suggest anything was up.

He unlocked his door, stepped inside. Immediately, he spotted the British police call box sitting in one corner of the room. The sight of the TARDIS made a smile grow across his face. Since the TARDIS hadn't sent a telepathic message to warn him of the impending visit, that meant that the Doctor wanted to surprise him. The Time Lord from Gallifrey loved to pull his tricks every once in a while, when he was in a playful mood.

The smile that creased his face at the sight of the tall, blue box slowly faded when he realized that his Gallifreyan friend wasn't about, nor was the Doctor's smallish dragon, Splash. By now, one or both would have greeted him; Splash a little more "forcefully" than the Doctor. If nothing else, the room should have been in a bit of a disarray, for his alien friend loved to make himself at home (at Indy's insistence) and there would usually be bags of snacks lying about with the "telly" showing a daytime soap opera or some such Earth nonsense that seemed to give the Doctor a little something to attract his wandering attention. Or, the Time Lord--usually wearing his "brainy specs"-- could be found in the professor's study, checking out the latest artifact Indy had dug up, or rifling through an ancient tome.

The room was as undisturbed as it had been that morning. That is to say, a mess, but a semi-organized mess. His half-grown black kitten, Shadow, lay on his couch. The feline's tail twitched as he shifted his gaze from the TARDIS to Indy and back again.

It was then Indy realized what else was bothering him. The TARDIS's usual content hum had changed. The pitch was different. It gave Indy a bad feeling deep in his gut. He stepped over to lay a hand on the blue box. Yes, something was wrong.

Quickly, he took out his TARDIS key, something he always kept on his person, then inserted the key into the lock. He unlocked the door and let himself in. "Doctor?" he called as he ascended the ramp towards the time rotor in the center of the vast room.

Suddenly, a voice spoke into the air: _Initiate Emergency Programme Two._

Indy instantly recognized the Gallifreyan's voice, and his friend, who suddenly appeared in the room, next to the control panel... no, not the Doctor, but a bluish-white apparition of the Doctor: a holographic projection. The shimmering hologram "looked" directly at him as the voice continued.

_Indy, if you're seeing this, then this is good-bye. I'm in a situation that's ended in my death or will soon end with my death, probably with no chance of regeneration. I've sent the TARDIS to you for two reasons. One, to get Splash out of harm's way. He's in the garden, not really understanding what's happening. I know you'll look after him and be his "Daddy."_

"Aw, Doctor--" Indy muttered, his heart hurting at the thought of his friend being gone forever. He could think no further as the hologram continued speaking.

_Two, I didn't want you to spend the rest of your life wondering whatever became of me or if I just abandoned you. I'm on the planet Paxston III; there's an epidemic going on that's decimating the population. There's a small chance I can stop this from taking out the entire population. You know me, gotta take that chance. As incredulous as it seems, the virus seems to have an ill affect on me, as well._

Indy quickly looked around in alarm. This epidemic was affecting the Doctor, who had been standing near where the archaeologist was now. Was he now affected, himself? Could he spread this to the rest of Earth's population if he left the time machine?

As if the Doctor had anticipated his thoughts, the image stated,_ You have nothing to fear of the disease. We know it doesn't infect humans. Something to do with your genetic code, or possibly antibodies of some sort that the Paxstons and I don't have. Unable to figure that out, but you're safe. Besides, once I leave the old girl, I've set a program for her to disinfect the control room as an added precaution. I'm not sure what this disease will do to Splash, so I've stayed away from him; another reason to send him to you._

_If it seems there's going to be no hope of recovery, which it must be or else you wouldn't be seeing this message, I'll send the TARDIS back to you. After you transfer Splash into your care, just let her go. I don't know if she'll take off and disappear forever or allow herself to pine away; it's hard to tell with the old girl what she'll do sometimes. I suppose if anybody can get her to keep going without me, it'll be her "Indy Honey."_

Indy couldn't help but smile at that remark. "Indy Honey" was the TARDIS's nickname for him, since the time a virus had invaded her circuits and given her a major "crush" on him, one where she obeyed only the human and ignored the Doctor, despite their bond. A disgruntled Doctor had managed to get rid of the virus, but the TARDIS had continued to use the nickname ever since.

He noticed the Doctor had paused, his attention seemingly taken by someone or something out of range of the recording device. After a few seconds, he nodded, then returned his attention "to" the archaeologist.

_And, finally, Dr. Jones, thank you. Thank you for making this old Time Lord's travels a lot less lonely. Thank you for being my best friend. _Here the Doctor grinned brightly._ We had a brilliant time, didn't we? Allons-y!_

The image disappeared, leaving the human standing, alone once more, in the vastness of the Gallifreyan timeship. Tears welled in his eyes as he reached out to stroke the edge of the console. He could feel the hum of the TARDIS; her song sounded sad, almost lost.

Lost without her Time Lord.

"TARDIS?" he queried gently, not knowing if she would communicate with him.

_Indy Honey._ Her voice, as always, spoke in his mind, though now it sounded grief-stricken and tired.

"I'm sorry. I should have been there with him."

_No, he would not have wanted you to be in such danger._

"This disease doesn't affect humans, I might have been able to help."

_Perhaps. Perhaps not. You may have exhausted yourself, maybe to the point of no return. Then who would look after the Scaly One?_

Indy smiled at her description of Splash. "I should see to him." The archaeologist walked towards the door that led into the depths of the TARDIS. He paused, found himself turning to look at the TARDIS's time rotor even though he could have just spoken to her as he walked down the corridor. "Is the Doctor--? Can you sense if he's--?"

_My Doctor still survives. I would know if he were gone forever._

"He's regenerated then?"

_No._ _That, too, I would sense._

Indy felt his hope rise. "Can you tell how he's doing? Is he badly ill?"

_That, I do not know. _She must have sensed his next question, maybe in the same way she knew how to decorate his room to his liking before he had even set foot in it. _Regeneration takes large amounts of temporal energy to occur. I am able to sense this in my pilot due to our bond. We are too far away, physically and temporally, for me to pick up on his general health._

Indy nodded, then continued on his way to the garden. He marveled how, a mere couple of years ago, half of the TARDIS's words would have been lost on him. Even the thought of beings from other worlds visiting Earth would have had him scoffing back then. Now, he discussed going to another planet clear across the galaxy and in another time as if he were talking about going down to the corner market for a few groceries!

The door to the garden slid open for him automatically. He glanced around the vast area that housed bushes and trees and flowers, had its own sky above his head and fertile dirt beneath his feet and a large waterfall that ended in a good-sized pond, near which were, among other things, a hardwood bench and a self-heating rock.

It was on this worn rock where Splash usually slept. The miniature dragon was nowhere to be seen, an unusual occurrence as he usually flew to greet the Doctor or himself whenever they entered. He glanced around. "Splash?" he called.

A small, brown shape darted from the safety of the trees. The miniature dragon hovered expectantly near the professor, looking around, looking--hopefully?-- for his "Doctor-Daddy." Disappointment could almost be seen on the draconic face as Splash dipped down to cling to Indy's shirt. Automatically, Indy put an arm around the beast, who hid his long snout up to his faceted eyes under the human's suit coat. He could feel Splash trembling.

"It's all right, Squirt," he reassured, moving to sit on the bench. That Splash was terrified went without saying. Whether it was do to the slight psychic bond he held with the Doctor or, by some animal instinct, he knew something was terribly awry, Indy couldn't be sure. Though Splash was intelligent and often seemed to understand what others said to him, the human didn't know he if understood the concept of farewell.

After a few minutes, Splash's trembling lessened and, finally, he uncovered his nose, looked up at the archaeologist. "I don't know what to tell you," he found himself speaking to the beast (something else he would have found crazy to do before meeting the Doctor), his voice a little choked. "The Doctor didn't think his chances of survival were all that good, so he sent you back to live with me. I know I'm not your Doctor-Daddy, but you're welcome to stay here."

Splash cocked his head, then laid it against Indy's chest. Indy ran his hand over the dragon's slender head and down his back, brushing lightly over the fragile wings. He stared at the waterfall, thinking back on his journeys with the Doctor.

He remembered how the Doctor had come to add a dragon, albeit a small one, to the TARDIS's entourage. They'd come across a cave, the Time Lord sensing something wrong within. Entering the cave, they'd found a nest, the eggs within broken and scattered, ripped apart. Tiny draconic carcasses lay scattered all around. A larger dragon, about the size of Indy's head, lay dead near-by, her blood staining the dirt around her, the body of some marauding predator she'd killed, and been killed by, clutched in her claws.

Movement and a creeling noise had attracted the men's attention. The Doctor had dropped to his haunches and reached out, carefully scooping up the sole surviving dragonette. The Gallifreyan cuddled the hatchling close, murmuring reassuringly. Time Lord and miniature dragon had bonded almost instantly--two lonely orphans having found one another; the Doctor had himself another friend, one to keep him company during the times Indy wasn't able to travel with him.

It was shortly after getting back to the TARDIS that the little beast earned his name, for he loved playing in water, flying up and splashing down on the garden pond's surface. As the dragon grew, Indy had teased his friend, calling him "Doctor-Daddy." The nickname stuck as Splash seemed to consider the Doctor his parent.

"Let's go, Splash," Indy said, standing. The little dragon hop-flew onto the archaeologist's shoulder. As soon as they exited the garden, Splash launched himself and flew down the corridor. "Splash! No!"

Growling softly, Indy followed the dragon. Splash paused outside a door, then flew inside when the door slid open. Indy got to the room, only to see the little beast sitting on the Doctor's bed. "Oh, Splash, no. Come on, Squirt."

However, when he reached for Splash, the dragon spread his wings, showing off the iridescent bottom half, and hissed. His sharp front claws gripped the duvet tightly.

"Splash, this is hard enough for both of us," he stated, frustrated.

The dragon snorted, tiny rivulets of smoke puffing from his nostrils.

Indy paused. Would the little beast actually flame him in perceived self-defense? How would he get Splash out of the TARDIS if he decided to be stubborn?

_Indy Honey. Leave him._

"But--"

_I'm not going anywhere. _A pause. _Not yet._

Indy held up his hands in a surrender position. "Okay, Squirt, you win. You can stay here, for now." He knelt beside the bed as the dragon folded his wings back, the anger in the gold-faceted eyes dissipating. "I know, Little One," he stated, using the Doctor's nickname for his reptilian companion. "I can't imagine he's gone, either. He was supposed to outlive both of us. But the Doctor wants me to take care of you. I hope you'll let me."

He reached out a hand and stroked the long back. Splash relaxed, nudging Indy's hand so the human would scratch his snout. Indy obliged, rubbing the softer "scales" under the mouth and jaw. After a few moments, the human stood. The dragon backed a few steps, turned a couple times, then lay down, long tail wrapped around his feet.

Indy headed back towards the console room. He paused to look at the time rotor, dark now that the TARDIS was stationary.

"Now what?" he queried to the room in general.

_We wait._

"Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked gently, touching the edge of the console.

_Nothing._

Indy nodded dumbly. "You'll let me know--"

The TARDIS didn't let him finish. _I will._

"I wouldn't want you to leave without saying good-bye."

_I would not. The Scaly One must be turned over to you, after all._

"Yeah, yeah, right."

_I miss him, too, Indy Honey._

Indy swallowed. He was never any good at this sort of thing, and he hated feeling so helpless. Turning on his heel, he stalked towards the door. "I need a drink."

Indy poured himself a scotch, gulped it down in one shot. He relished the feel as it coursed a fiery trail down his throat, then poured himself another. He took his drink and sat in his armchair, one of the few places in the room that wasn't cluttered with books or papers or the stray artifact. For awhile, he stared at the TARDIS, his scotch untouched. After awhile, he glanced at Shadow. The cat was curled up in his kitty bed, asleep. No comfort from that quarter. Not yet, anyway.

He reached out to set his drink on the small table beside the armchair. The glass chinked against something. Indy picked up the item, then put aside his glass. The thing was one of the myriad items he picked up during his archaeological digs. Contrary to what the movies would have people believe, archeology wasn't usually heart-stopping finds such as King Tut's tomb or the Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail, but relentless excavating and spending time researching in libraries.

Indy loved to take little pieces such as this, to try and figure out what they were, how they fit into the lives of the people who had used them. He'd take unusual items home to study them. Then he'd ask the Doctor if his hunches were correct. Oh, sure, he could set the item aside then ask the Doctor the next time he saw him, save himself a lot of time and effort, but Indy enjoyed the mystery and deduction.

"'The thrill is in the chase, never the capture,'" the Doctor had told him once. Then the alien had grinned. "Agatha Christie. Met her once. Brilliant person! Wrote the most fantastic mysteries!"

Indy smiled, recalling the Time Lord's mischievous nature. When the Doctor had visited once, he'd picked up this very artifact--a piece of intricately designed metal half-encased in rock--and examined it. "You know what this is?"

When Indy told him his theory, the Doctor had shook his head. Quite seriously, he stated, "It's actually not of this Earth."

"It's alien?"

"Yep, it's a piece from a bilateral ion detection device. Must have fallen to Earth from a Draxillian spaceship that exploded above the atmosphere, oh, a few million years ago."

"You're kidding!"

There was a pause, then the Doctor's eyes twinkled as he grinned. "Yep, I'm just having you on! You were spot on with your assessment. Mmm, yeah, brilliant deduction, Dr. Jones. Now I know why I let you travel with me. Well, that and the fact the TARDIS has a crush on you."

Indy hadn't been able to help himself, he'd started laughing. The Doctor had joined in a moment later.

The human smiled, gently lying the artifact back on the side table. The Doctor could be frustrating sometimes, but overall he was a good friend. Life was certainly going to be less interesting without him in it.

Sighing heavily, he got to his feet and headed for his bedroom, leaving his drink untouched.

Indy lay in his bed, staring at the dark ceiling, unable to sleep. He growled softly at his inability to sleep. Finally, he gave up, pushed himself upright, swinging his legs over the edge until his bare feet hit the floor. He ran a hand through his thick hair. A sudden movement startled him. He looked up to see Splash hovering in the doorway.

"Hey, Squirt."

The dragon swooped down to land on the bed next to his human friend. Indy regarded him silently for a moment.

"Doing better?" he asked, reaching out to scratch the dragon's head. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he could see a couple draconic tears rolling from the faceted eyes, reflected in the moonlight streaming through his bedroom window. "It's all right, I know how you feel. You know, though, the Doctor's not gone yet, so there's still a chance--"

Indy stopped. He scrambled to his feet, grabbed his robe and hurriedly strode towards the living room; Splash launched from the bed and followed. The archaeologist pulled on his robe as he walked, tying off the belt as he reached the open door of the TARDIS. As he stepped inside, he muttered, "How could I be so stupid? Why didn't I think of this before? She's a _time_ machine!" He raised his voice as he spoke aloud. "TARDIS?"

_Indy Honey?_

Splash flew into the room, landed on one of the coral struts. He cocked his head with apparent interest as he watched.

"The Doctor's still alive, isn't he?"

_Yes. I would have informed you if his death had occurred._

"Then we should be able to help him! You can take us to Paxston III, back before all this mess started--"

_No._

"No? Don't you want to help the Doctor?"

_Of course I do! _The TARDIS almost sounded miffed at any suggestion she didn't want to help her pilot. _But the events are established and going back to prevent 'this mess,' as you so quaintly put it, would create a paradox. We can not change what's happened, no matter how much we may wish to._

"Okay, concede the point, but he's still alive! Which means we can go there, try to help him!"

Splash cried out happily from his perch. Indy glanced up to see the miniature dragon's eyes whirling excitedly, his wings half-unfurled.

_That, we can do._

"Brilliant!" Indy unconsciously imitated one of his Gallifreyan friend's favorite words. "Let me get changed. Splash, come on!"

The small dragon proceeded the human out the TARDIS doors. Indy tossed off his robe and quickly dressed into his "working" clothes: old shirt, pants, work boots. On his belt, he attached his bullwhip and tucked his loaded gun into its holster. He knew the Doctor frowned at Indy even having a gun on his person, but this time, he didn't care. In fact, he couldn't wait to hear the Time Lord reprimand him for having the weapon along.

Splash squawked impatiently from his perch on top of the open door. Indy glanced up at the proud beast before leaving the room. "Come on, O Scaly One. Nibbles?"

The archaeologist pulled out a plate of cold roast beef from the refrigerator. He always kept a supply in the freezer for the beast for when the time travelers visited, for the little dragon loved his "nibbles." He set the plate on the kitchen table, then stepped back to allow Splash to land. Shadow jumped up onto the table to partake of the treat with his draconic friend.

As dragon and cat tucked into the meat, Indy backed out of the kitchen. _Forgive me, Squirt, but the Doctor wants you safe. He would never forgive me if I brought you to an infected planet. You stay and keep Shadow company. We should be back before you know it, probably before you're even done eating._

He grabbed his leather jacket, fedora and carrying pouch on his way through the living room and entered the TARDIS. Before he could shut the doors, however, Splash darted into the console room. The dragon flew around the time rotor, scolding the human with what Indy imagined were probably dragon curse-words.

"Not this time, Splash!" Indy called. "You have to stay here!"

But the little dragon wasn't listening. He flew up near the top of one of the struts, sunk his claws into the coral structure and perched there, out of reach. He mantled his wings in a threatening gesture; his eyes whirled angrily as smoke puffed from his nostrils. Indy didn't need the TARDIS's translation circuit to know that Splash was annoyed at him for trying to leave him behind. _"Annoyed" is putting it lightly!_ Indy figured, judging by Splash's reaction. The beast could be _too _protective of his "Doctor-Daddy" sometimes!

"Listen, you scaly beast, the Doctor didn't want you to possibly catch whatever disease is on that planet. He'll kill me if you get sick!" He glanced around the control room, looking for something to catch the dragon in. "We're wasting time here!" he muttered, frustrated.

_Leave him, Indy Honey, _came the TARDIS's calm voice. _I'll entice him to the garden later, then lock him in. He'll be safe from any infections there._

Indy sighed. "All right." He gave the dragon a last look, then pulled the door shut. He had no time to spare for the dragon now. Quickly, he tossed his jacket, hat and pouch on the captain's chair, and approached the console. "Okay, baby, little help here."

Humming happily, the TARDIS instructed the human on setting co-ordinates and what buttons or levers or gauges to deal with to get her launched. He caught her comment about being glad the "isomorphic controls weren't functioning" but ignored it as he set his mind on getting them to Paxston III in one piece.

The time rotor stopped, the lights within fading. Indy breathed a sigh of relief, releasing the tight grip he had on the console's edge. He stared at the rotor a long moment, then moved to gather up his things from the captain's chair. Splash had been persuaded to fly to his garden. Indy couldn't help smiling slightly when he thought of the dragon's reaction when he realized he couldn't exit the garden. He was sure it hadn't been good.

"Can you sense the Doctor?" he queried as he ducked his head through the pouch's long strap.

_Yes. His life signs are unsteady; his neural activity is too high. If not slowed, the results could be devastating._

"Why hasn't he put himself into a healing coma?"

_The virus has caused an increase in his body temperature, which is affecting his brain functions. He is unable to slow things down enough to drop into a healing coma. You must get him to the med-bay as quickly as possible._

That was all the encouragement Indy needed. He hurried to the doors, then flung them open. Just outside stood two beings. If not for his previous travels in time and space, the archaeologist might have found himself staring. Now, however, he took it in stride, as if meeting somebody from a different culture on Earth... who just happened to have soft-looking, mint green fur all over their bodies. And long, dark, braided hair. And wore nothing but loincloths for clothing. _Correction_, he noted as another of the beings approached the TARDIS, _the males wear loincloths and the females wear halters as well._

The lone female stepped forward, between the two males. They all stood a little shorter than the archaeologist.

"You must be Indiana Jones," she said, her accent very thick, but decidedly British-sounding. The scientist in Indy wondered if this was their normal accent, an accent the TARDIS gave them as she translated for him or the Doctor's influence somehow. "The Doctor spoke of you often enough and his TARDIS." She nodded towards the time machine.

"I must be," Indy stated warily, "and who might you be?"

"I am Arie. This is Pallen and Darren." She nodded to one, then the other, of the males. "The Doctor warned us you may come."

"Huh. He knows me well."

A pained expression crossed Arie's features. "I know why you come, but I am afraid you are too late. In finding a cure for my people, the Doctor is now paying the ultimate price. He caught the very disease he was fighting; I'm afraid he is dying."

"He isn't dead yet, Arie. We may still be able to save him."

"This is a good thing. Come." Arie whirled on the spot, her long, black braids swinging, and strode swiftly from the room. The two males followed, but only Darren followed where Arie led Indy.

They passed many rooms. Indy caught glimpses of labs and beds. Many beds had patients in them, being attended by others more healthy.

"The epidemic claimed many lives," Arie explained, noticing where Indy's attentions were drawn.

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you." She turned into another room. On the single bed, covered with a thick blanket, lay the Doctor. His complexion was pale, a sheen of sweat brightened his face and matted his usually unruly hair. His breathing was labored; he appeared to be sleeping, though it was a fitful slumber. No, not sleep, the human remembered the TARDIS saying he was unconscious, and that his brain activity was too high, as well. Even unconscious, his fingers twitched and his eyes moved under the closed lids, almost as if he were dreaming.

"If not for the Doctor, we might have been wiped out," Arie stated as Indy walked up to his friend's bedside. "It is unfortunate that the germs that attacked us also infected him. Time Lords are supposed to be resistant to the diseases of the universe, but this one had mutated, he said. Even sick, he would not stop working towards a cure."

"Yeah, he's like that."

"When he sent away his TARDIS, I knew he thought the situation hopeless. Still, he continued striving for a cure, finally finding one. Too late to save himself."

"Maybe not," Indy turned to face the alien. "Arie, I need to get him back to the TARDIS. She has a med-bay, with equipment and medicines geared towards a Time Lord. But I need to get him back as soon as I can."

"He should not be moved! He could infect his TARDIS, perhaps carry the disease elsewhere!" Arie looked almost panic-stricken at the thought.

"No, the TARDIS can safe-guard against that."

Arie appeared to be thinking. Finally, she said, "Very well, but if the Doctor dies, his body must be incinerated, as all ours had been. Just to be safe."

Indy inclined his head, not wishing to waste time arguing. The longer the fever maintained its grip on the Doctor, the more likely he would die or perhaps suffer brain damage of some sort. He wasn't sure what could happen to the Time Lord and didn't want to take any chances.

With Arie and Darren's help, he moved the Doctor onto a wheeled bed. Darren pushed it to the TARDIS. Indy stepped ahead to unlock the doors, then he looked askance at the alien.

"We must tend to our own people," she said, answering his unspoken question. She reached out to hold the Doctor's right hand. "Best to you, Doctor. As the Great Goddess saw fit to save my people, I hope she sees fit to cure you completely."

Indy wasted no time in maneuvering the gurney into the control room, then into the corridor beyond. He silently thanked the time capsule when she moved the med-bay next to the main console room. Following her silent nudges, he positioned the portable bed next to the one already in the room. Carefully, he tugged at the sheet, transferring the Doctor onto the medical bed, before pushing it towards the wall. When the bed bumped gently, the Time Lord's head closest to the wall, Indy loosened his grip, then stepped back.

A slot opened in the wall behind the bed and a clear, half-cylinder moved into position over the it. When it was positioned completely over the Doctor, the half-cylinder lowered, then latched onto the bed, encasing the Gallifreyan completely. A purplish gas began to fill the enclosed chamber, becoming so thick that Indy could barely make out the unconscious form of his friend.

"What's that?" Indy asked.

_A neural inhibitor. It should slow his brain activity enough to allow him to enter a healing coma._

"You can't just cure the disease?"

_It is a mutated strain, one I am not familiar with. My Doctor can cure himself of the disease, if we are not too late._

Indy didn't want to ask the question, but needed to know the answer. "And if we are too late?"

_Then he will die._

"Will he regenerate?"

_No,_ the TARDIS answered simply.

"So, it's total recovery or not."

_Yes._

"And now?"

_We wait. It's up to my Doctor now._

After about an hour, the gas was sucked from the half-cylinder. The covering unlatched from the bed, rose slightly, then retracted back into the wall. Indy stood from the seat he had taken, going over to his friend's side. The Doctor lay silent, still deathly pale, but unmoving and no longer feverish.

"Will he be all right?"

_There's a good chance for recovery now that his neural activity has calmed enough for him to enter a healing coma. There is nothing else for you to do. I recommend rest, maybe some food._

"Yes, Mother."

_Do not forget who controls where the rooms are located._

"Oh, don't worry, I don't!" Indy allowed himself his first grin since the TARDIS had appeared in his living room--was it only earlier that day? The day before? He shook his head, confused. "I think I'd better leave all this temporal stuff to Time Lords and their TARDISes!"

_Quite right!_

After finding out from the TARDIS that there was no longer a threat to anyone from the virus, he stepped outside the time machine to report to Arie. Relief crossed the alien's face when he told her the prognosis; she offered him some food. Not realizing how hungry he was until that moment, Indy accepted her kind offer and dined with her in a small room filled with tables for just that purpose.

After a quick meal, Arie excused herself to see to some things, but told the Terran he was welcome to show himself around without fear of reprisal as everybody now knew of the Doctor's friend who had come back to save him. Indy wandered a bit, then went back to the TARDIS. He checked on the Doctor, pausing as he stepped into the med-bay.

Splash lay on the Doctor's chest, his long snout resting on the Time Lord's left shoulder, his wings were spread protectively over the Doctor's upper torso. The angular head rose to regard Indy as the archaeologist approached the bed.

"Hey, Squirt, I see you've been released." Indy reached out to scratch the dragon's head. He noticed Splash had latched onto the Doctor's blanket with his claws. There was no way the little beast was abandoning the Time Lord now! "Better now that your Daddy is near-by?"

Splash nudged the human's hand, then laid his head back down. The small dragon heaved a sigh, closing his eyes, content.

Indy smiled. Splash. The TARDIS. Himself. What was it about the Doctor that inspired such loyalty in people? He did a quick check of the monitors before realizing that the notations were in that strange Gallifreyan language the TARDIS never translated for him. He wasn't too concerned, figuring the time machine would let him know if anything were wrong.

_Yes, I would. _She stated seriously. _You need to get some rest yourself._

"I trust you'll let me know if anything happens?"

_What do you think?_

Indy yawned. "I think I'll just go take a nap."

_Good idea._

Indy awoke some time later. He got up, headed for the bathroom, where he splashed water on his face. As he patted his face dry, he noticed a change in the TARDIS's hum. Her song sounded happy, content. _Sounds as if the Doctor's recovering! _he thought to the ancient machine.

_He's awake, Indy Honey. No sign of the disease, his brain activity is back to normal. _A pause. _Normal for what passes for my Doctor, anyway._

"Watch that! It sounds like you've been around humans too long." The archaeologist chuckled as he hung up the towel.

_Just you, lately._

"Yep, that'll do it." He smiled as he left his room. A short walk down the stark corridor took him to the med-bay. He stepped inside. There he found the Doctor sitting on the bed, scratching between Splash's shoulder blades; the little dragon, crooning softy in pleasure, had his head on the Time Lord's shoulder.

"Brilliant!" The Doctor exclaimed as soon as he spotted his friend. "I knew you'd come! Well, as soon as you realized I wasn't dead, that is. Knew you were here. Even comatose, I could sense the TARDIS when you landed! Her presence is what helped me into the healing coma. Well, that, and the meds, of course. Brought me back from the brink!"

Indy grinned. "Yeah, well, you can thank the TARDIS for letting me fly her. Flying, such that it was, anyway." He grimaced, remembering the extra rough take-off the timeship had made.

Seeing his friend's reaction, the Gallifreyan's grin dropped. "She's all right?"

"Would I hurt the old girl?" Indy asked in a semi-hurt tone.

"Well," the Doctor finally conceded after a long pause, which Indy knew he was doing deliberately to get him to react, "not intentionally, no."

"Damn straight," the human insisted. He reached out to scritch the dragon's back.

"I did think you would have had better sense than to bring Splash back with you, especially not knowing if it was safe for him."

Indy stepped back at the recriminating tone in the Doctor's voice. "Yeah, well, _you_ tell him to stay behind next time! He wouldn't listen to me. He flew into the console room and refused to leave. I think if I'd pushed it, he would have flamed me. He _knew _something was wrong."

"Yeah, I guess he would," the Gallifreyan replied, giving his draconic friend a small hug. He looked at his human companion. "I'm sure you did your best."

"Best I could considering I'm only human, unlike some of us."

"Yeah, well, we can't all be brilliant, can we?" The Doctor sniffed.

Indy gave his friend a look that silently said he thought the Time Lord was totally mad, then smiled. The Doctor was definitely back! "Because you've just gotten over this disease, I'll pretend you didn't just insult me." Before the Doctor could protest, because he _really _wasn't angry at his alien friend, he added, "You owe that boy some serious nibbles!"

The Doctor's mega-watt grin returned. "All of us."

Declaring himself fit, the Doctor left the TARDIS with Indy to check on the survivors. Arie and those he'd worked with during the epidemic were pleased to see that he'd recovered fully. He, in turn, was very glad to see everybody who'd been given the antidote was recovering quickly.

Deeming his job on Paxston III finished, he bid his new friends farewell and left.

Indy kept an eye on his friend as he set dials and levers, then released the handbrake. He watched as the time rotor began its rhythmic rising and falling, the Doctor's wide smile at being at her controls again. Everything seemed to be pretty much back to normal.

The Doctor turned to face Indy. The Time Lord rested his butt against console, crossed his arms across his chest. "I take it there's a reason you wore your gun into a medical zone?"

"I wondered if you'd noticed."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at that statement. "Next time," he finally stated, "don't."

The archaeologist just smiled. "The TARDIS and I were having a wonderful time trying to decide what we were going to do with you out of the way. You had to go and ruin everything." His face took on a look of pleasure. "Oh, the places she planned on taking me--"

"Oi!" The Doctor interrupted, scandalized. "Watch that! My TARDIS, you know!"

"Oh, really?" Indy shot back good-naturedly. "Interesting how you are the only one whose room gets rearranged whenever she gets miffed."

"What?! She never--"

_I love my Indy Honey, _the TARDIS purred silkily.

Indy smirked, reached out to touch the time rotor. "I hear ya, baby." He glanced at the Doctor, who looked very disgruntled.

Noticing the human's look, the Doctor stated, "Oh, shut up!" He shifted his eyes from Indy to the TARDIS, then up at Splash, who was perched on one of the struts and had his mouth open in what appeared to be a draconic laugh. "All of you!"

Indy laughed. He clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Great to have you back, Doctor!"

Splash dropped down from his spot, back-winging slightly to land on the Gallifreyan's other shoulder.

The Doctor automatically reached up to give the little dragon a scratch, then tilted his head back slightly to regard his human friend. The TARDIS hummed happily in his mind, reminding him that, all joshing aside, he would always be hers as she was his. Now and forever.

"It's great to be back." He grinned merrily, whirling around to face the time rotor, forcing Splash to raise his wings and sink his claws into his overcoat to remain steady. "Now! Where to next?"


End file.
